Kerosene Scars
by Cactus Normandian
Summary: 13:40, Sahara Square, Tanez Residence. A truck with two occupants bursts into flames, an outburst of violence never seen before in Zootopia in more than a decade. What Nick and Judy knows is that they're in for a tough case. What they don't know that this case is shrouded in a spiraling conspiracy of blood, espionage, revenge, and fire. Rated T for violence and graphic scenes.
1. Chapter 1 - Trial By Fire

**AN:** To those who might not know, this is going to be soft-reboot/re-write of my previous story, _Kerosene Scars_. It's real unfortunate to have to redo everything, but right now, I feel it's for the best. I believed that I could do this story a bit more justice than I did with the previous iteration. I have high hopes for this one, and I hope you will enjoy it too.

* * *

 _Sahara Square, Tanez Residence, 1:40 AM, Monday_

The western district had always been a dump. It wasn't always so. There used to be more business to be done here, but lack of services and the growth of a criminal hotbed led this area to have less incentive for any future homeowners or investors. As the rich young mammals went, in came the ones who cared less about who they catered their services to. The apartments went year without maintenance, potholes unpaved, streetlamps unchecked. The alleys were filthy, and no one would ever go out at night alone. Ever.

Flynn Barkowitz tapped his feet impatiently, cigarette in paw. He leaned idly on the wall in the dimly lit hallway, waiting for his partner to come out of the adjacent room. The Tanez Residence was a run-down apartment, housing no more than a handful of mammals. Mammals who didn't care who came or went, as long as they did not bring any unwanted authorities. Flynn shifted his weight across his back and the dried out wallpaper quietly crumbled behind him. The deal was supposed to be a quick exchange of words, a shake of a paw, and the disappearance of both parties into the night. Yet Flynn had been waiting for almost an hour. That could only mean one thing.

The wolf could make out voices, although he couldn't hear any clear words. Flynn was silent, trying to grasp any morsel of the ongoing conversation for himself, even though he knew perfectly what is was all about. With that, the voices ceased and chairs scraped back. The door handle turned and opened. A tall, dark coated kudu strode out. Flynn threw down his cigarette.

"How'd it go, Ed?" Flynn gritted his teeth in a fanged smile. "You don't look to happy."

The kudu huffed, returning the smile. "Quite the contrary. I drove a real hard bargain. The boss will be happy."

Flynn laughed and slapped the kudu's back and made for the stairs. "That's the Ed I know. C'mon."

Ed followed the wolf down the stairs and out of the rundown apartment. It was late, and the streets were poorly lit by the last few functioning streetlamps in the derelict area. The whole street was deadly silent, aside from the ambient bustle from the city itself. Suddenly, there was a faint roar of multiple engines, causing the two to stop to turn towards the source of the noise, which came from the other side of the building. The engine noises soon faded into the distance.

"That was fast." Flynn quipped. "Those the other guys?" Ed nodded, and they continued forward. "Who were they, anyway?" Flynn asked.

"Some suits. The corporate kind. You know, the corrupt ones." Ed answered. They were the best customers. Large wallets but largely empty heads, as he would put it. It was easy to get them to pay, so long as it ensured that no one else would know about their dealings. Ed had always used that as a pivot for his bargains countless of times. No "honest" mammal would want to be caught in this part of town. Flynn nodded silently in understanding.

The wolf walked ahead towards a darkly colored pickup truck parked by a flickering streetlamp. He entered through the left, sliding the key into the ignition and starting up the vehicle. Ed entered soon after, arching his head in habit, so as to not let his horns knock against the door frame. He pulled out his phone.

"Hey, how much did you get out of them?" asked Flynn, rolling down the truck window and pulling a pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket. "Ya gotta tell me."

Ed dialed a number and put his phone to his ear. "Twenty grand." Flynn whistled in astonishment.

"Twenty grand for that little? Impressive. Well, not too surprising for such a sly business mammal as you. Boss'll be delighted to see that junk out of his hand, and for a fine price too. " Flynn thumped the kudu's chest and chuckled. Ed sighed and put down his phone.

"No answer. Whatever. I'll tell him in the morning." Ed pocketed the device and looked over at Flynn. "You plannin' on going somewhere?"

Flynn smirked. "Y'know, this calls for a drink. Tony's?" he asked, referring to a bar located in the downtown district of Sahara Square.

Ed smiled back at his old friend. "Sure, sure, as long as y-"

 _WHUMP_

The interior of the truck immediately burst into a fireball. Flames engulfed the two, shattering all the windows of the pickup, an intense orange and black plume billowing up into the sky. The intense flash lit up the night sky, temporarily rendering the skyline with a bright tint, as if it were suddenly day. The truck tires popped, one by one, by the heat, and the ground was scorched to a carbon black as the inferno grew. The roar of the flames drowned out the sounds of screaming, flailing occupants of the vehicle. Suddenly, a lone howl pierced through it all, slowly fading away, until it too was engulfed by the crackling and the hissing of the flames. The truck burned with an intense ferocity, the inferno's unquenchable hunger consuming the entirety of the vehicle.

And all was soon silent.

* * *

 _Savannah Central, Snarlbucks, 5:42 AM_

Nick thumbed the home button on his phone again, checking to see if there were any new notifications. Nothing yet. The day was still young, and the streetlights were still bright, their automatic sensors not yet deeming the sky bright enough to be turned off. The occupants were few, and the establishment quiet. He put his phone back into his pocket of his police uniform, and looked back at the counter. He stood silently, waiting, his eyes shifting behind his sunglasses, observing the morning crowd. He contemplated removing them, just for the sake of blending in a bit better. As if a fox in a police uniform could attract any less attention.

"Mr. Wilde?" a green aproned pig called out from behind the counter, putting two cups of coffee down. Nick immediately stepped up towards the counter, holding a hand up in recognition. As the counter was slightly taller than he was, he tiptoed and grabbed one cup, but he seemed to miss the other with his paw. At that moment, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Is this for me?" Nick spun quickly, narrowly spilling his coffee and upsetting his sunglasses from his snout. A rabbit stood behind him, paw on hip and the other holding a smaller cup. Nick sighed, putting his paw up to adjust his glasses, and reached out and took the cup out of the rabbit's hand, surprising her slightly.

"Sorry, Carrots. These are both mine." Judy paused, a confused look in her face. After a brief awkward silence, Nick, grinning ear to ear, returned the cup to Judy, who rolled her eyes.

"Never stop being yourself, Carrots." Nick smirked, taking a sip from the cup. Judy gave him a little punch on the shoulder, smiling. "It seems like I've been rubbing off on you."

"Let's call it a draw today, then." She pried the plastic lid of the cup and sniffed at it. "What is this?" she said as she took a small sip.

"Same as mine. Americano." They both took a seat by the window. The streetlamps now turned off one by one as the sun rose from the east. There were more people in the coffee store and on the streets, now growing louder as more cars passed by. Judy had received Nick's text in the morning. It was a bit of a surprise; she was more accustomed to her being the one to wake Nick up if needed be, and they usually got their coffee at the station. They met everyday in front of a nearby florist and walked together to the station, but they had never had their morning coffee anywhere else. Even so, she had taken a short walk from her apartment here, and the cool morning breeze was very comfortable.

Judy looked up to Nick, who was scrolling through his phone now. "Why today?" Nick turned to her. "Mm?"

"I mean, why'd you want us to meet here, today, of all days? Is there something special going on? We never meet for coffee." Judy inquired. Nick looked he was at a lost for words.

"Well, I guess, for a change, well, I mean, you've always been the one to get me up, so I kinda decided to, y'know, treat you today." Nick smiled widely, hoping that Judy didn't notice his face reddening. Judy rolled her eyes, but still returned the grin.

"As long as you're paying, Slick." Nick chuckled as he took another sip of his coffee. He opened his mouth to reply, but noticed Judy's face, now suddenly focused. He turned. She had paused, her attention caught as the six o'clock news started playing on the mounted TV set behind Nick. The swirling graphics gave way to the news anchors, a snow leopard and a moose.

The leopard spoke, "Good morning, Zootopia, and welcome to the six o'clock news. I'm your News anchor Fabienne Growley-"

"And I'm Peter Moosebridge," the moose continued, "Our top story this morning is of an accident in Sahara Square, occurring around midnight last night. According to eyewitnesses a small pickup exploded in the western district, leaving two fatalities. The fire was put out shortly after by the Zootopian Fire Department very shortly after." Peter turned to his co-anchor, who picked up where he left off.

"We currently have no word on the identities of the two victims, nor the circumstances surrounding this accident. Authorities are currently suspecting foul play. Be sure to stay tuned for more updates on this incident. In other news..."

Nick, who had turned to watch the TV turned back to Judy, who met his gaze. They both had a similar thought in mind. Judy began to get up.

"Well, let's get to it. C'mon Nick, time's wasting." Judy sprang towards the door, followed closely behind by Nick. They two pushed through the door of the Snarlbucks and made their way to the station. The sky was much lighter, and the streets were now bustling with early commuters on their way to work. The two walked side by side. Judy looked up to Nick.

"Something on your mind, Nick?" Judy asked.

"No, why'd you ask?" Nick quickly answered. He turned his head to Judy. "You're acting real jumpy today. Was the coffee too much?"

"The coffee was enough. Everything's fine. Besides the fact that you sounded like had a frog in your throat. And that you looked like a ripe tomato. Was your coffee enough? "Judy quipped, smiling as she noticed Nick's face reddening once more. Satisfied with invoking such a reaction from the fox, she skipped forward ahead of Nick. The fox sighed and shook his head.

"That rabbit's going to be the death of me." He muttered to himself.

The pair soon made it to the Precinct. As they made through the large glass doors of the station, they were both greeted by Clawhauser.

"Good morning, you two!" He greeted. "How's the Snarlbucks?" Clawhauser pointed at the cups the pair held in their paws.

"Just wonderful, it was Nick's treat." Judy answered, and Clawhauser half-squealed.

"Oh, Nick, you're such a gentlemammal!" Judy chuckled at the notion. Nick pulled off his shades, giving a faux bow, renewing laughter from both of them. Clawhauser's smile faded.

"In all seriousness, though, did you hear what happened last night?" Clawhauser asked, his voice lowering to a half whisper. Judy nodded.

"Yeah, we saw it on the news just now. Who were they? I mean, the victims." Judy replied. Clawhauser shook his head.

"No clue. But Bogo's having nearly the whole precinct on the case." Clawhauser answered.

Nick threw his empty coffee cup into a trash bin at the side of the receptionist's desk. "Well, we'd better get to it then. See you later, Benji." Nick waved goodbye, and he and Judy both left to the bullpen. Like most days, it was jampacked with officers and was a bustle of loud noises and voices. The two made their way to the front, climbing up on a chair in the front row. Judy looked towards Nick and nodded her head to the other officers.

"It seems that they're all talking about it too. Seems like a serious case." Judy said, Nick nodding in acknowledgment, but saying no more. At that moment, the door of the bullpen opened and Chief Bogo stepped in. All the other officers immediately stood in attention. Bogo motioned them to be quiet as he stepped to the podium.

"Enough, ENOUGH." He put the manila folder squarely on the podium. "Alright, settle down. We've got a large case on the docket today. As some of you may know, there was a car fire down in Sahara Square last night. Two fatalities. One wolf and one kudu. We don't have any exact identification as of yet, but we do have some officers there to secure the area." Bogo paused to let it sink in. He continued.

"We have reason to believe that this was not a mere accident. There was no crash, nor any car accident. Those who called in the incident said that they heard a large boom and a flash of light from that area. We suspect a bomb." There was a slight murmur throughout the room. Gang violence wasn't all to uncommon, but the usage of such a device on the streets had been seldom heard of, even in the more violent of places. Even possessing parts intended to make an explosive device was dealt with severely.

"Before I start giving out the assignments, are there any further questions?" Nick raised his arm.

"Where was this again?" Nick asked.

"Sahara Central, West district. Near the Tanez residential area." Nick nodded and sat back down. Bogo snorted and began giving out assignments.

"Not a big surprise." Nick muttered to himself. Judy looked at him, curious.

"Huh?"

"The Western district's a hodgepodge of crooks and dealers. Especially around the western residential areas. Back in my day it was almost common knowledge that that was the place you would go if you needed anything. Drugs, guns, money, you name it." Nick explained, leaning back, putting an arm on the chair back.

"So it could be gang violence?" Judy asked. Nick nodded.

"Most likely."

Bogo read from the list. "Grizzoli, take a team down to the scene to get some eyewitness testimonies. Hopps, Wilde, I want you two to meet up with our forensic team at the site, and see if you can get an ID on the two fatalities. The rest of you, go to your assigned areas and await further instructions."

The briefing drew to a close, and the two hopped off their seats and retrieved their case folder. They made their way to the Precinct parking lot and got into their assigned black and white police cruiser. They got in, Nick looking over the file as Judy prepped the car.

"Never thought I'd ever go back there." Nick grimaced in disgust, flipping through the pages. "What a dump," he remarked as he looked at one of the photos in the folder.

Judy leaned over and clicked on her seat-belt. "Been there before?"

Nick nodded slowly. "Yeah." That was all Nick wanted to say, and Judy could see a look of discomfort on his face. She decided that it would be best to leave the subject alone, as she had already been poking fun at Nick the whole morning. She disengaged the parking brake and pulled out of the lot and headed east towards Sahara Square without saying another word.

* * *

 _Somewhere in Sahara Square_

The black-coated sable antelope paced angrily across the warehouse floor, phone up to his ear. He rubbed the bridge of his snout with his hoof. The armed guards watched him from their positions around the room, all silent and still, with an air of unease. The antelope stopped in his track.

"Yes, yes, I got it. I know. Thank you." The phone beeped audibly and he dropped his arm, still gripping the phone. He inhaled and exhaled heavily, shoulders moving with his heavy breath. With one swift motion, he swung his arm, smashing the phone into the wall.

"Damn!" The guards all flinched, even though they were accustomed with the boss' sudden but all too common outbursts. A common eland stood by him, not moving, waiting for the sable antelope to stop. The antelope turned and sat onto a chair, running his hoof across his horn. "It was Flynn and Ed. They were operating in that area last night." He thumped the table with his hoof.

The common eland spoke up. "Could it be their customers?" The sable antelope shook his head.

"Nothing of value was exchanged last night. They had literally nothing to gain from doing such a thing. And nobody's that stupid to double-cross me. But once I get my hands on who did..." He looked sideways at the eland. "Ed was a good mammal..." The sable antelope trailed off.

"You know what to do."

* * *

 **AN:** I really hope that you've enjoyed this read. Please leave a review if you feel like it. Thanks!

Edit: fixed some time-stamps. Sorry for any misunderstandings!


	2. Chapter 2 - Smoldering Ashes

**AN:** Second chapter is up! Expect more uploads soon.

* * *

 _Sahara Square, Tanez Residence, 7:12 AM_

The black and white police cruiser pulled its way slowly down the street, stopping at a police blockade marked by a yellow and black plastic strip that prevented any other vehicles from traversing down the street. There was a sizable crowd nearby, mostly reporters and curious bystanders, all held back by the other officers present. There was already another cruiser and two other unmarked vehicles, along with a fire engine. Nick could see a few firefighters still lingering at the site, talking to a uniformed moose. Nick and Judy alighted and walked towards the scene. As they walked around the fire engine, they could see the burnt out wreck, still slightly smoking, blackened to ash. The moose caught sight of them and approached them.

"Mornin' Officers," Captain Wik Alces greeted, "Gruesome sight, isn't it." He nodded his head towards the wreck. "It was burning to high heaven when I got here. The ZFD put it out hours ago, but it's still smoking. Kinda makes you wonder what type of incendiary they put in."

Judy stepped up closer to the car, wrinkling her nose at the smell of burnt carbon. "Have you identified the two victims yet?" Wik walked closer to the wreck, and the two followed close behind. He raised another plastic strip that condoned off the area and bent underneath it.

"No proper identification yet," he replied. "Two adult male mammals, one kudu and the other a grey wolf." He passed a mammal suited head to toe with a white plastic suit, holding a stick in his paw and a camera in the other. "Hey, Greyson, any luck?" Wik asked the wolf. Greyson looked up and pulled down his facemask.

"Nothing yet. Skin and fur's been burned off and we're still in the process of disinterring any other personal belongings that may have survived the fire. If we could get a wallet or something, we might be able to procure some sort of identification." The wolf answered.

"So, how long do you think it'll take to get an ID on the victims?" Judy asked. Greyson paused, thinking.

"Depends on what we might find. If we could find, let's say, a driver's license of some sort, then it'll be a matter of an hour or so. But any other types of identification might prove hard. Pawprints have been melted off, so are any fur samples. DNA identification may not be viable at this point." Judy furrowed her eyebrows, now preparing herself mentally for the long and arduous task that may lie ahead. Greyson continued. "However, unless the truck is stolen property, we could just run the license plate through the DMV. That'll at least get an ID on the driver. Let me see if we've taken it off already. Scuse' me."

Greyson shifted passed them and made his way to a white-canvas tent that lay a few meters away from them. The two's attention now turned to the burnt out wreckage. Nick put his hands in his pockets and shuffled closer to the fenced off site. Judy followed behind, lagging behind in hesitation.

"Nick? Are you sure you want to..." Judy trailed off as they got closer, catching a glimpse of a pair of horns slumped over the dashboard of the burnt truck. Nick, looking back, stopped and immediately turned to her.

"Oh, um, I don't think you'd want to-" Judy cut him off. Nick noticed with concern the tense look on her face.

"Let's...just get it over with. I want to know what we're dealing with." Nick nodded slowly and continued forward around the wreck. Now the two bodies were in full view, both charred and curled, a blackened lump of carbon. They were nearly unrecognizable, besides their silhouettes that identified them as their respective species. A look of silent horror was fused to their faces, mouths agape, forever screaming in silence. Judy choked, but did not say anything else.

"Carrots..." Nick said worryingly, he himself disturbed with the scene that presented itself in front of him, putting a hand on Judy's shoulder. She was shaking.

"Hopps, Wilde?" Wik called from the white tent a few meters away from them. "Come over here. We have something to show you."

Judy tore her eyes away from the scene. Nick immediately put her arm around her shoulder and guided her away from the wreck. "It's alright, Carrots." He said silently, not knowing how to react. Judy nodded silently, not knowing what to say either. The two made their way to the tent, trying their best not to show any sign of discomfort. Greyson came at them with a black crusted metal plate in his paws.

"We've tried cleaning it off a bit. You can see the numbers on it, not too clearly, but still, it's a lead." He held it for them, and Nick read the numbers out loud while Judy had a notepad and pen in hand.

"T...Z...901...I...no, L. TZ 901 L. Got that, Carrots?" Judy nodded and put away the notepad. Nick looked up at Greyson and Wik. "Thanks a bunch, guys. I'll let you know once we run this through the DMV."

Wik smiled and nodded back at them. "Any time. Take care of yourselves." Judy managed to squeeze out a nervous smile, but did not say anything else. The pair got to their cruiser and started to drive off to the DMV. Nick looked over at Judy, who was staring straight ahead into traffic, slightly concerned.

"Judy? You haven't said a word since we left." That caught Judy's attention. Nick usually never used her real name, only using nicknames like "carrots" or "fluff". She sighed deeply.

"I'm fine, Nick. I'm just a bit shaken, that's all." Judy explained. Nick turned to face out the window.

"Was that your first time?" Nick asked gingerly. Judy slowly nodded and mumbled in affirmation. She braked as they approached an intersection. She turned to look at Nick as she pulled to a complete stop.

"You?" She asked, noticing Nick's hesitation.

"No." Nick shook his head slowly. Nick continued. "The first body I ever saw was when I was a teenager. I was probably around 19 or 20 years old." Nick gave a sideways glance at Judy, judging her reaction. The intersection lights turned green and Judy pulled out of the intersection, turning left. But by what Nick could guess, she was still listening.

"He was just a hobo, another homeless mammal begging on the streets. He usually came around the front of our apartment to beg. So one fine morning, we found him dead, stabbed to death." Nick finished. Judy slowly nodded. "The thing is, we still don't know who did him in. But the fact of the matter is that I can't change the fact he's dead. And I choose not to dwell on it." Nick turned and put his hand on Judy's arm. "And neither should you."

Judy turned and smiled at the fox. "Thanks, Nick." Nick, happy with the response pulled his sunglasses out and put it on, smiling to himself. "By the way," Judy asked, "what did you mean by 'we'? You said 'we' when you were talking about finding the body. Where was this?"

Nick's smile faded. "Oh. Hm. That was with...ah...Finnick. We lived together for a while." Judy's mouth formed a silent "O". "We were living together in Sahara Square, in the residential area. So yeah, I was familiar with that area."

"Oh, so that's why you knew about this area." Judy paused. "Wait a second. Finnick? That Finnick? When you were 19? You knew him for that long?" Judy said, surprised. Nick snorted.

"He's been stuck with me for more than a decade. Well, according to him, I'm the one who's been stuck with him. Come to think of it, it's been a really long time." Nick said. Judy gave a small grin.

"More than a decade, huh. How's that make you feel?"

Nick ran a paw through his ears, sighing. "God, I feel old."

* * *

 _Back at the Tanez Residence_

Wik returned to his car, an unmarked police vehicle, putting his walkie talkie on the roof and reaching into his car to get a notebook. Another day, another crime scene. He usually worked the night shift, so he was the first responder to this particular case. Whenever there was an accident during the night, if he was on shift, he was the first to respond. This time was no different. He relocked the car door and flipped through his notes. He had recorded a semi-accurate timeline as soon as he was free, in order to allow a more detailed report to be filed. He checked through them. Around 2:40 AM, he received the call for the incident. At 2:50, he arrived at the scene and saw the car burning. At around 3:20, the fire had been put out. There were a few more details and timestamps here and there, just as long as he-

"Captain? Are you there?" The radio crackled to life, the tinny voice of Greyson over the line. Wik immediately grabbed it and pressed the receive button.

"Yeah, I'm here. What is it?" The radio crackled with static.

The radio crackled again. "Uh, you might want to come back and see this." Greyson said nervously. Wik sighed and returned the way he came from. He could see Greyson with another white-suited officer at the burnt out truck, both leaning over something. The wolf saw him and waved him over.

"What is it? Did you find something?" Wik asked. Greyson nodded.

"We managed to the glove compartment open. Look what we found." He held a partially melted semi-automatic pistol by the grip. Wik nodded to himself. Now they had evidence that this may be a another case of gang violence. He recognized the gun model.

"That looks like a Pig Sauer two-twenty. Hmm. It's not that a common model. Only obtainable through the black market. Is it loaded?" Wik asked. Greyson, with some difficulty, unlocked the magazine from the grip, pulling out an empty one.

"I guess not. Well, if it was, the heat would've ignited the ammunition." Greyson said. "But there's more; look." Greyson put away the gun and dangled a small chain in front of himself, a small pendant attached to it. Wik's eyes widened as he recognized the small curved iron horn that hung from the chain.

"The Red Horn." Wik muttered under his breath. "This isn't good." He said as he pulled his phone out to make a phone call. Greyson was confused, not recognizing the name.

"The red what? Is that a gang name?" Greyson asked. Wik shook his head.

"The Red Horn." He repeated. "The top dogs. One of the biggest mafias in Zootopia." He dialed a number and put the phone up to his ear. Greyson put the pendant inside a plastic evidence bag.

"Should we be worried?" Greyson asked, slightly worried himself by Wik's sudden change of mood. Wik only gave a nod as he walked back to his car, the latest discovery resting heavily on his mind.

* * *

 _Savannah Central, Department of Mammal Vehicles, 8:24_

The automatic doors opened with a hiss as Judy and Nick walked into the building. As always, the sides were lined with mammals of all shapes and sizes, all waiting for their turn to apply for a license, to renew some paperwork, to get their IDs printed. But without a doubt, all victims of the slow and arduous customer service. In each counter there was a sloth, working in a separate, slower pace than the rest of Zootopia. The two walked down to the middle counter, manned by none other than Flash.

Nick flashed his teeth at the sloth. "Flash, Flash, hundred-yard-dash! How's it going?" He put one arm on the counter, smiling from ear to ear. The sloth's face lit up, albeit slowly.

"Hello...Nick...Nice...To...See you..." Flash said. Judy's eye twitched. "What...Can I...Do...For you..." There was a pause, and Judy took a big breath and- "Today?"

Judy mentally facepalmed. She remembered perfectly what happened last time, and she sure as hell didn't want to repeat that incident again. She waited until she was absolutely certain the that was all Flash was going to say. "We would like run a plate through the system."

She made sure not to ask any more questions than needed. A full blown conversation was something she would preferably avoid today.

"What...Is the...Plate..." Judy caught herself before she said anything else. "Number."

"TZ 901 L." Judy said. Flash leaned his head down and extended his claw to input the numbers into a touch keyboard.

"T." Click-

Nick looked bemusedly at the rabbit. "So, I guess you've learned your lesson since last time." Judy glared at him with an inner rage.

"Z." Click-

"That was not my fault! It was you who told that joke!" Judy pointed an accusing finger at him. Nick raised his two paws in defense.

"9." Click-

"Well, be glad that I also have a job to keep. No jokes this time. I promise." Nick reassured her with a smile, garnering a roll of eyes from the rabbit. There was an awkward silence. The two stared at each other until they turned to Flash, who was now looking up from the keyboard with a smile on his face. Both of them froze, confused. Soon, the sloth started to vocalize his thoughts.

"Ah...Yes...Nick's...Joke...That was...A...Funny...Prank...You pulled...On her...Nick..." Nick looked on in horror. Judy, processing this, turned to Nick, emotions boiling over. She looked at him incredulously.

"That time? You two planned that? It was prank?" Judy half-shouted. Nick curled back, frightened by the sudden outburst.

"Th-th-that was- what? No! Well-" Nick stammered, struggling to form words. Judy cut him off with a raised paw.

"I'll deal with you later," Judy spat out angrily, "once we get out of this-"

The two noticed Flash turning to another sloth sitting in an opposite booth, as Judy and Nick looked in horror.

"Hey...Priscilla..."

* * *

 _A while later_

The printer machine gave a quiet tchak-tchak-tchak sound as a print popped out. Flash, with his foreclaws, pinch the end and tore it off slowly, the paper ripping slowly. He lifted it out and Judy immediately snatched it out of his grasp. She scanned the piece of paper quickly.

"TZ 901 L, owner...Flynn C. Barkowitz. Grey Wolf. That matches the victim." Judy said. Nick stood by her side, as quiet as a mouse.

"Well, let's go and see if we can get anything on him from the database." Nick said. Judy said nothing, glaring at him menacingly. Nick shrank back sheepishly. Judy turned to Flash, giving him a wave.

"Thanks for your help, Flash!" she said as she moved towards the exit. Nick gave a small two finger salute and followed Judy out. The walk to the cruiser was silent, with Judy giving Nick the cold shoulder. The cruiser was exactly where they had left it. The two got into the car. Judy started the car but did not move.

"What time is it." Judy's question was more of a statement. Nick looked down at his watch, wincing as he realized the time.

"1:50." Nick said softly. Almost six hours. They had missed their lunch period, and the whole morning was already wasted. He sighed as he realized that this situation wouldn't solve itself. "Look, Judy, I'm really sorry. Yes, it was a prank. I...I called Flash to tell him that we were coming, and it was just a stupid thing to do. And I'm sorry for just now, it shouldn't have gone on for that long. I..." Nick looked up. "I can make it up for you. You missed lunch. I can treat you for dinner. Anywhere. Just say where and I can make it up for..." Nick suddenly realized that there was a smile on Judy's lips.

"Hmph. I just needed to hear that from you." Judy teased. Nick breathed a sigh of relief. "But the dinner you owe me..."

"Sly bunny." Nick said, in which Judy replied in kind.

"Dumb Fox."

* * *

 _Sahara Square, Tanez Residences, Block 24, 2:00 PM_

Officer Grizzoli looked over the hunched shoulder of the bespectacled ram. The ram typed away on the keyboard, the clicking of it the only sound in the dark security room. He frequently looked up at the computer monitor, which flashed screenshots from the surveillance cameras that were set up by the blocks. The white polar bear was accompanied by a wolf and a tiger, Officers Wolfard and Fangmeyer. They were looking at the pair of monitors that sat on the desk. Finally, the ram stopped and a grid of video feeds popped up on both screens, all displaying scenes from the night before. The side of the truck was clearly seen. The timestamp read 1:30 AM.

"There's your feed." The ram said raspily and got up. "Knock yourselves out." He made his way to the side of the room, beckoning to the officers. Grizzoli got into the chair, putting his hand on the mouse and scrolling. He pointed to one of the squares on the screen, which was black.

"What's this?" He asked. The ram waved his hand.

"Broken feed. It's a dead camera." The ram explained. "Can't do nothin' about it."

Grizzoli nodded. There were at least two other black squares. He pulled the slider back, noting the time that the truck pulled up onto the street. 1:00 AM. Two mammals came out, a kudu and a wolf, both entering the block opposite the parked vehicle. 1:36 AM, the two mammals came back out, and entered the vehicle. 1:40 AM. The truck went up in a blinding fireball, obscuring nearly all the feeds in a white light, before dimming, revealing the aftermath. The black husk of the truck burned until about 3:20 AM, the firefighters on scene. Grizzoli scrolled back the feed, watching for any sign of another mammal who might've been there. Nothing, he said to himself, scrolling it back and letting it play again.

"Nothing. That must've meant the bomb would've been planted before-" Grizzoli was cut off by Wolfard, who reached forward and stopped the feed at around 1:20 AM.

"Wait-wait-wait, I think I saw something move." Grizzoli let the feed play, until he caught a glimpse of something and stopped, winding the feed back a few frames and pointed.

"Look! There it is." He pointed at the feed at the bottom left corner, the camera that looked sideways at the truck, not completely covering it, but obscured by some trees. Grizzoli and Fangmeyer looked closer, noticing a black figure, with a white colored stripe going down the mammal's back.

"Who is that?" Grizzoli asked no one in particular.

"Looks like a badger." Fangmeyer offered. "Could be a skunk. Or a panda."

Wolfard shook his head. "Doesn't look like a panda. Too small. Also there's nearly no tail on that mammal. Sure, the size could be of a skunk, but they have really bushy tails."

Grizzoli rubbed his chin. He scrolled through the feed again. The mammal went up the truck, seemingly attaching or depositing something into the truck, then leaving about 3 minutes later. No doubt, this was the perpetrator. But none of the other feeds could offer anymore than a vague shape of this figure. They were still in the dark.

"Ya' done yet?" The ram piped up behind them, clearly annoyed. Grizzoli nodded as he got up.

"Wolfard, pop the disk out, will you." He turned to the ram. "We're taking the video in as evidence, if that's alright with you." The ram slowly nodded. "Good. C'mon, let's go." He said to the other officers, leaving the dimly lit room.

* * *

 **AN:** Thanks for reading! Remember to leave a review!


	3. Chapter 3 - A Missing Wolf

**AN:** Chapter three, sorry for the wait.

* * *

Precinct 1, ZPD Headquarters, 2:58 PM

Clawhauser beckoned to the Springbok, handing him a box of doughnuts. The two stood behind the receptionist desk, the cheetah leaning on the counter while the Springbok sat in the swivel chair at the computer.

"Mmh mmhh?" Clawhauser spluttered, mouth full of doughnut. The springbok, smiled, putting his hoof up in declination.

"I'm good, thanks." He said. Clawhauser chewed and swallowed the rest of the pastry, wiping his paws on his shirt.

"You sure? These are really good! They're from the new doughnut shop on Flora Avenue." Clawhauser elaborated. Mark Dorcas nodded in acknowledgement but said nothing in return. Clawhauser, sensing this, put the box away, but not before reaching for another doughnut.

"Are the days usually this uneventful? I was expecting more calls, well at least during the afternoon." Mark questioned. It was his first day on the force, and he was temporarily assigned receptionist duty, under the guidance of Clawhauser. The cheetah shook his head.

"Nah, sometimes there are a ton of calls." Clawhauser reassured him. "You'll just have to be patient." Mark was scrolling through the police database, looking through it to familiarise himself to the domain layout. Just then, the speaker on the desk started blinking. Clawhauser immediately pressed the button on it, and a voice came over the speaker.

"Officer Hopps and Wilde. Clawhauser, are you there?" Judy's voice came over the speaker.

"Clawhauser here, I can hear you loud and clearly. What's up?" Clawhauser said, giving a _I-told-you-so_ smile to Mark.

"I need an ID on a suspect. Flynn C. Barkowitz." Judy replied. Mark immediately started typing down the name. He paused and turned to Clawhauser.

"Flynn, 'i' or 'y'?" Mark whispered. Clawhauser nodded.

"Flynn C. Barkowitz...Flynn with an 'i'?" Clawhauser asked through the intercom. There was pause on the other end.

"Uh, no...y-n-n. F-L-Y-N-N. Flynn. Yeah." Judy's voice came through the speaker. Mark nodded to himself and typed away on the keyboard, repeating the letters in his mind. The queries on the screen consolidated into one, and clicked on it, briskly skimming through the database.

"Yup, found him. Grey Wolf." Clawhauser said as he looked at the screen. Mark scrolled down. "And he's got a history too. A drug charge, a few assault charges. He's been to prison twice. That sound like him?"

"We don't actually have any other details on him. Where does he live? Does he have any relatives?" Judy inquired.

"Hmm, let me see. Ah, here we go. Savannah Central, 13th Grove Avenue, Block 23, room 2-4. Grove Apartments." Clawhauser supplemented, scrolling down even further. "No current recorded relatives. Sorry. Let me know if you find anything!"

"Thanks, Clawhauser. Talk to you in a bit." Judy said, thumbing off his radio. The crackle indicated the end of the call. Clawhauser put his hands up.

"See, patience!" Clawhauser said as he stuffed his mouth with another doughnut.

* * *

Savannah Square, 3:00 PM

Judy turned to Nick, who was sitting in the cruiser beside her, who was also listening to the call. "13th Grove Avenue. If I recall correctly, it's only a few streets down. Let's go." Nick said. Judy nodded, shifting the gears and pulling onto the main road. They drove down the main road, and sure enough, they spotted a set of similarly looking apartments, overlooking a small park. The blocks were rather unkempt, but not to a point of dereliction. The area was largely unoccupied with only a few mammals walking along the sidewalk. Nick scanned the blocks, counting silently in his head before pointing to a building three blocks away from them.

"There it is. Three blocks down." He told Judy. Judy eased on the gas, pulling up to it and braking. The two got out and surveyed the area. There were other mammals in sight, either on the streets or in the surrounding area, lingering around the park or loitering by the buildings. Even though they couldn't see it, Nick knew they all had their eyes on the two of them. Judy took no notice, however, and made her way up the concrete steps of the 23rd block and into the lobby. There was a chatter in the lobby, and a three other mammals were in there, watching a mounted tv on the wall from a couch opposite. As soon as Judy stepped in, the chatter ceased and all eyes turned on her. Judy quickly assessed the situation. Two wolves and a boar. There was a brief and tense silence before Nick walked in. Nick merely nodded in acknowledgement to the group, taking off his sunglasses. The boar gave a snort and turned back to the TV, prompting the others to follow suite. Nick walked past them, followed by Judy, up the set of stairs that led to the upper floors.

"Clawhauser said 'room 2-4'. Second level, room 4. Here it is." Judy said, pointing to a door to the left of them. They approached it with slight caution. Nick reached up on tiptoes to press the doorbell. There was a click, but no chime could be heard from behind the door. Nick pressed it again, but to no avail.

"Some maintenance." Nick muttered under his breath before knocking on the door. There was no answer. "ZPD, open up!" Nick spoke, but there was no response. He turned to Judy. "I don't think anyone's in. Should we ask around or...?" Nick left the question hanging.

"I'll call it in." Judy said, pulling out her radio. There was a footstep behind them and a cough.

"Excuse me." The pair turned to see the boar who had been sitting downstairs right behind them, arms crossed. "What's your business?" He said gruffly, scowling.

"Officer Hopps," Judy said, pointing to herself, before gesturing to Nick, "this is Officer Wilde, ZPD. We're conducting an investigation, so sir, if you could-"

"Who are you looking for?" The boar cut in. "When cops come in like this they're always looking for someone. So?" Nick stepped forward, putting himself between the boar and Judy.

"We're looking for Mr. Barkowitz. We heard that he lives around here." Nick explained. "So, would you by any chance know where he is?" The boar paused, uncrossing his arms.

"Flynn? No clue. I haven't seen him all day." The boar said. "What's he gotten himself into now?"

Nick paused, mouth partially opened. "That's police business."

"Well, police business or not, tell him he's not welcome back anytime soon." The boar muttered, as he turned to go back downstairs. Judy pushed pass Nick.

"Why, has he been causing trouble?" Judy asked. The boar stopped, giving her a sharp stare.

"He's...a real character. We don't like him using these blocks as...staging ground. Y'know. For certain...business." The boar muttered vaguely, hesitating to say more. Judy pressed on.

"What type of business?" She inquired.

"He's part of a gang. A really high profile one, I heard. Me and my pals don't know what he does with that deer friend he has lurking around here often, and we don't want to know either." The boar revealed.

"Deer friend?" Nick queried. The boar gave a shrug.

"Deer, antelope, some sort of Cervidae or Bovidae. Straight curved horns, grey fur. I don't know. One of them." The boar huffed. "Now if you don't mind, I'll get back to my soccer match."

"Thank you...sir..." Judy thanked looking for a name, to which the boar raised his hoof.

"Edin. Victor Edin. Nothing to it." The boar answered, before returning down the stairs. Judy turned to Nick, eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Captain Alces said that the other occupant in the truck was a kudu, a Bovidae. This could be our guy!" Judy speculated. Nick nodded in agreement.

"So Mr. Barkowitz was part of a gang. But doesn't blowing up someone using a bomb seem too overkill?" Nick contributed. "No pun intended."

"There's no telling right now. Gang or no gang, this isn't going to be a simple open and shut case." Judy concluded. It was nearly 4 in the afternoon. While they hadn't accomplished as much as she had hoped they would've, at least this was a lead.

* * *

Savannah Central, Canaan Industries Tower 4:25 PM

Russell Cavendish, an operations manager of Canaan Industries, the leader in the chemical industry in Zootopia. A badger of significant status, and his office interior reflected his extravagant lifestyle. His office had the view over the city, as his company headquarters was situated in one of biggest skyscrapers in the business district. Russell laid back in his chair, feet propped up on his desk, absent-mindedly spinning a liquor glass in his paw. The sun was already beginning to start its descent into the horizon. He had a board meeting at 5. But for now, he had no appointments. All of a sudden, the intercom on the desk buzzed to life.

"Mr. Cavendish?" A feminine voice called from the speaker. Russell put his feet back down, leander forward and pressed the button of the intercom.

"Yes?" Russell grunted in acknowledgment. He quickly cleared his throat, putting the liquor glass back on the table with the intention of pouring himself another cup.

"The board has postponed the meeting to six. Just to let you know. Sir." His personal secretary, a European Roe Deer, stammered in reply. Russell smiled to himself. He wasn't keen on that meeting anyway.

"Thank you, Linda." That was all that Russell said before he leaned back to pour himself a half-glass of gin. He wasn't too fond of Miles Burchell, CEO of Canaan Industries and a hot-headed Zebra, or any of his cohorts. One hour would serve him well to provide him with an extra hour of sanity before the mess they called a "board meeting". More like bored-

His train of thought was interrupted by his ringtone going off. It was the default "beep-beep-beep" common for the brand of his touch phone, but it managed to throw him out of the loop. Curious, as he usually blocked most of his numbers from calling him at certain times. He picked up the phone, and immediately recognized the name that was calling him; Bernard Pinto, an old friend. He quickly picked up the call.

"Bernard? What's going on?" Russell asked, a seed of doubt forming in his chest. Russell could hear that the cougar was out of breath.

"Russell, my boy." Bernard breathlessly babbled. "Did you see your father anywhere? Did he come by your place?"

"What? What's wrong? What's going on?" Russell inquired, now extremely anxious. His arm froze, midway in putting his drink to his mouth.

"Your father. Edward. He's missing. He dialed me and left me a voice message just now." Russell panted. "He-he said that he was going to leave, I don't know where. I drove by his place, and he wasn't there either. I wasn't sure whether he went to see you."

Russell rubbed his chin. "No, he hasn't passed by." He could hear Bernard groan from the other side of the line.

"Dammit. I told him to lay off his meds. We have to call the police. We can't let him get into any trouble." Bernard grimaced. "Not this again..." Russell heard him mumble and draw a deep breath.

"I'll phone the police. I'm sure it's nothing, like last time." Russell said. "Thank you, Bernard." There was an exasperated grunt on the other end of the line.

"No problem, Russell. Call me if anything comes up." He hung up, leaving Russell to listen to the flat tone on the line. He put away his phone and finished the drink in one gulp. A thought came into mind, and he smiled inwardly. He immediately reached over and dialed his secretary.

"Linda? Tell Mr. Burchell that I will not be available for the board meeting tonight. Tell him that I have some...family issues. Yes. That is all." Russell hung up, kicked his feet up again and leaned back into his chair. Finally, for once, he was free for the evening.

* * *

Precinct 1, ZPD Headquarters, 6:00 PM

After a lengthy period of paperwork and presentations, Nick and Judy were finally at the end of their shift. They had provided the identification of one of the victims, and were in the process of identifying the other. Along with their evidence, several surveillance tapes had been procured from the site. Much work was being put into the identification of the culprit, but so far, no leads have been found. The pair left that behind as they exited the building.

"So, Nick. About that dinner you owed me." Judy smirked to Nick, who returned the grin.

"Of course, where shall it be?" Nick crooned, in a sing-song voice. Judy, returning the sarcasm, put her paws on her chin, exaggerating deep thought.

"What about...that salad bar that you refused to go to last time?" Nick's smile faded.

"Wait, wait, wait. That place? I thought we were having dinner, not getting tortured!" Nick feigned surprise. He had his reason not liking salad bars, one being the lack of bug meat and the other being how awkward it was, being a predator in a mostly prey establishment. In a way, Nick's surprise was real. Judy did not relinquish her decision.

"Yup, with all the vegetables you can eat. Come on, we should try and miss the evening crowd." Judy tugged Nick along, but the fox didn't move. Judy looked back to him, confused.

"Nick?"

The fox smiled, putting a paw on her head. "Don't ever change, Carrots." He flashed a toothy grin. "But mark my words, I'll get back at you. Just you watch."

Judy grinned, pushing Nick's paw away. "I'll be ready for you, then."

The two made their way, down the street, and into the setting sun.

* * *

Savannah Central, Canaan Industries Tower 7:25 PM

Miles Burchnell adjusted his tie, looking at his own reflection in the mirror. The board meeting was, as per usual, useless. He didn't interfere with the bickering between the head of office and an operation manager, as he'd rather not take sides in that argument. Neither did he have the patience to deal it with today. And that damn badger, using the obviously fake "family issue" excuse to escape. What was his name, Ca..Caven...Cavendish, Russell? The name slightly rang a bell, but he waved it off. His personal phone rang, and he picked up.

"Miles, oh, Miles." The voice on the other end hissed, sending a sharp tingle down the spine of the zebra. Miles hesitated, but finally stammered out a greeting.

"Oh, um, good evening, Sazar, it-" The sable antelope on the other line promptly cut him off.

"Uh-uh-uh. No names." The Zebra clenched up at the sudden interruption. "No names. I know you're wondering why I'm calling you at this time."

"Yes. Is it because-"

"Oop. Let me finish. You'd have probably guessed it by now. That little "incident" last night. Hmm?" Miles started to pace his office. He nodded, but realized that the sable antelope wanted a verbal response.

"Y-yes. So I heard. What happened?" Miles ventured, trying to regain a sense of some sort of conversation with the antelope.

"I lost two mammals last night. I don't know who. But guess who they were meeting last night?" There was a slither of venom within his voice, and Miles heard it, loud and clearly, but before he could answer, the antelope answered.

"One of you suits. A deal. I...y'know...was wondering if you know anything about...any activity since." The antelope coaxed. Miles swallowed. He was in for it now.

"No, of course not, absolutely not. If I knew anything, I'd have contacted you by now, I swear." Miles half-pleaded. There was a grunt on the other end. Miles held his breath.

"Hmm. Oh well. I know you will. Just know, I'll find out who did this. And you know what that means, right?" The sable antelope spat.

"Yes, absolutely. I'll have mammals on command, just give me a call and they're yours." Miles spluttered, not knowing how much he could take of this.

"Of course. Until then." There was an audible click as the antelope hung up. Miles dropped his phone on his desk, putting a hoof on his head, heaving a breath. Only one thought came across his mind. He wasn't safe anymore. Not that he was safe as he first shook his hoof with the Sable antelope's. It was just that they had been on better terms then, and Miles concluded that he'd have to lay low for now.

At lost for thought, he dropped onto a chair, making a mental note to get the mammals he promised to provide. The sun was setting, and he hoped that when he went to sleep tonight, he'd be able to wake up.

* * *

AN: Thanks for reading, and please favorite and leave a review!


	4. Chapter 4 - Before the Storm

**AN:** Oop, here's chapter 4. Enjoy!

* * *

 _Grand Pangolin Arms 5:30 AM - The Next Morning_

Nick woke with a start, lying on an inflatable mattress. He maw opened wide in a yawn and he instinctively reached over the side for his alarm clock, but grasped nothing but air. He waved his paw around wildly before he slammed it into a wooden frame, flinching as pain shot up his arm. His eyes opened one by one, and he realized he was staring straight at a bed frame. Confused, he sat up, blinking rapidly as he awoke to an unfamiliar setting. It was an apartment, and a small one, for that matter. Already, light was shifting through a window behind him, indicating that it was at least five in the morning. He scratched his head furiously, trying to recall the previous when he caught a small moving mass of gray fur on the bed he slammed his paw into a moment earlier. Then he remembered.

 _The previous night..._

The two raced up the stairs of Judy's apartment, soaked to the bone. Upon exiting the restaurant they had dinner in, they were caught up in a downpour with no umbrellas or cover. Racing to the nearest subway, they decided to go to Judy's place, which was much closer than Nick's residence further down the line. The rain was still pouring as they exited the station, and they had to make a mad dash to her apartments.

"What a night, eh, Carrots?" Nick said, shaking the water out of his fur. He scowled as he made his way after Judy, who had her apartment keys in her hand. She nodded, too tired to say anything, and opened the door to her room. He beckoned Nick to enter.

"C'mon, Nick, let's get you some towels." She replied. She dug into a small drawer, searching for the towels while Nick looked around the residence. The rain pattered loudly on the windows.

"So, this is where you live?" Nick asked. "It's pretty small. Well, for me. I don't know about you."

"It's big enough for me, I guess. There's a communal bathroom and kitchen at the end of the hallway. Oops." Judy replied, interjecting as she pulled out two orange towels from the overstuffed drawer. Nick raised an eyebrow as she offered one to him.

"Orange? Really? You really are a token bunny." Nick teased, taking the towel.

"It's either that or nothing." Judy huffed as she also procured a set of clothes from the drawer, but she paused as she saw Nick's soaking clothing and realized something. "You don't have an extra set of clothes."

Nick paused, looking down at his rain-soaked shirt. "Huh. I haven't thought about that."

"I think you can use the dryer in the bathroom." Judy reasoned.

Soon the two had gotten as dry as possible, Judy in a dry set of pajamas, and Nick in a dry white undershirt and his police pants, warm from the dryer, but still a bit damp as moisture clung to the trousers' thick fabric. As Nick entered the room, he noticed Judy handling a large box.

"What's that?" Nick asked, pointing to the box.

"Inflatable mattress. I knew this would come in handy one day." Judy answered. She struggled to get the uninflated mattress out of the box. Nick walked over to help. With a bit of luck, they managed to wrestle it out.

"Why'd you get such a big mattress?" Nick asked, realizing the dimensions of the whole thing. "Wait, first, how'd you get such a big box up here?" He asked again, realizing once more that the box was nearly the size of the rabbit herself.

"First question, I was afraid that my parents might drop in with a few of my brothers and sisters for a overnight trip. So, I took precautions. As for the second question..." Judy answered, pondering the next question. " I have no clue. But anyway, since you're here, and my bed's pretty small, so..."

"Wait, are you asking me to stay here overnight?" Nick realized. "You're a bit enthusiastic, aren't you, Carrots?" Judy froze, her ears turning red.

"But-I...Look, do you want to go back out in the rain?" She gestured to the window, and they both could hear the din as the rain hit the glass. It was apparent to the both of them that the downpour wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

"I could use an umbrella." Nick reasoned. Judy's ears drooped, muttering a soft "O". Nick immediately felt a pang of guilt in his chest. He sighed and squatted down, putting his paw on her shoulder.

"Although, I am feeling quite tired for tonight." Nick offered. "I wouldn't mind staying here for the night." He smiled, and Judy echoed his expression, a small grin forming on her face. "Let's inflate this mattress up. I'm exhausted."

Nick reached over to the empty box, and froze. "Carrots. Where's the air pump?" Judy scrambled over the uninflated mattress, looking into the empty box.

"Huh. I could've sworn..."

 _The next morning..._

Nick rubbed his eyes as he recalled the events from the night before. He threw off an under sized blanket and yawned again, stretching his arms out as wide as he could. Almost on cue, Judy's alarm went off, and a small gray paw immediately shot out and turned it on. She sat up, eyes settling on Nick's red furred chest, and she let out a sharp squeak. Nick yelped in surprise and Judy immediately put her paws over her mouth as she made sense of the scene in front of her. Nick sighed and put a paw on his heaving chest.

"Carrots, jeez, do you alway wake up with a scream?" Nick panted, still recovering from the shock. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"I'm so sorry, I...kinda forgot." Judy pulled her covers aside and hopped off the bed. An orange sunbeam shone through the windows, casting a faint shadow across the room. She picked up her uniform and opened the door. "I'm going to go change now. You should get ready too. We're leaving in 10."

She sped out the door, leaving Nick alone to his devices. Reaching over, he unplugged his phone from the charger and pocketing. He put on his police shirt, smoothing out the creases. It was finally dry, thankfully. He clipped on his belt, checking for his taser, and he finally slipped on his tie, which he didn't untie the previous night. By then, Judy sprang in, fully in uniform.

"Ready for a new day, Wilde?" Judy quipped.

"Not before my coffee." The fox replied. "The day can wait."

* * *

 _Precinct 1, ZPD Headquarters 7:35 AM_

"Alright, Officers," Bogo's voice rang through the bullpen. "We've got a full day on our "to-do" list. Our first priority right now is to catch the culprit behind yesterday's attempt." On cue, he pulled out a manila folder.

"Thanks to the efforts of certain officers," he continued, eyes shifting slightly down to rest upon the rabbit and fox officer, silently acknowledging their contribution. "We have an ID on one of the victim. Flynn Cain "Barko" Barkowitz. Two cases of battery, one charge of illegal drug possession, and has accumulated a year and a half of time in the penitentiary. That was around seven years ago, and he was off our radar since then." Bogo pulled out a picture of the canine from the folder.

"Now that we know him, we need the identity of the other. A kudu. And it has come to my attention that we may be dealing with something a bit more sinister than your average drug ring. Captain Alces?" Bogo looked to the moose, who was standing by the side of the podium.

"Thank you, Chief. As you may know, this has been a shocking incident, and as of late, there hasn't been a single attack as severe or extreme as this. This may be why." Wik dangled a small trinket from his hoof, holding up to the room for all to see. The curved iron horn swung back and forth on the chain. "This emblem is of the Red Horn crime syndicate, a single metal horn. For those who unaware, this crime syndicate is notorious for its violent and extreme "methods", to say the least, dealing with drugs, illegal trafficking and arms trade. It went underground nine years ago after a spate of violence, and we had postulated that the group may have disbanded. This is probably the only proof we have of the syndicate still being active." Wik returned the chain into a small plastic bag, pocketing it.

"The other such proof that this is in fact the real Red Horn syndicate, rather than a copy-cat gang is the identity of the other victim. The Red Horn's leadership is usually comprised of Bovidae, such as antelopes and elands, the elites also being made up of mostly Bovidae from overseas, and the "grunts" comprised of run-of-the-mill recruits from various species and background. The identity of this kudu may serve to allow us to start operations in combating this group."

"Thank you, Captain." Bogo stepped up, and the moose stepped aside. "I'll be giving out today's assignments." He quickly handed out the folders, and each group left one by one, until Nick and Judy were the only one left in the room. As soon as the room was empty, Bogo beckoned to both of them. "Office, now."

The two, thoroughly frightened and nervous, followed the buffalo into his office. The three of them took their seats. Examining the countenances of the rabbit and fox, Bogo let out a breath and put his hoofs up.

"Nothing to be alarmed about. I just need some privacy. You're not going to be assigned to this case," Bogo held up a hand to stifle any remarks. "Only for at most a week. There's something else I want you to carry out."

At that point, the door of his office opened, and a formally dressed snow leopard walked in with a briefcase in his hand. He extended his paw in greeting. "Bernard Pinto. Lawyer. Well, retired. I see these are your two trusted officers?" He asked Bogo, who nodded.

"Hopps, Wilde, this is Mr. Pinto. Have a seat. But before we get into the case, I have to ask you, are you two familiar of the Spring Bombing case? No?" Bogo asked the two. Judy spoke up.

"I might have seen something like it on the news. What, five, six, years ago?"

"Almost. Nine years ago. There was multiple fire bombings across the industrial district south of Zootopia. Two deaths, millions of dollars in damage. We were not able to catch the perpetrators, but we suspect mercenaries." Bogo explained. Bernard cut in.

"There was only one witness at one of the biggest scenes. Edward Cavendish, a badger. He was...used. Edward was an engineer, but he had an extensive know-how of chemicals, especially explosive ones. He was blackmailed and forced to make bombs for the groups, and subsequently, they tried to execute him." Bernard shuddered. "Fortunately for him, the bullet passed through his skull without penetrating any vital organs. To make matters worse, he was arrested and tried as soon as possible for his involvement in the case, which I personally defended." He paused.

"Edward is missing. He has been since last morning."

"So it's a missing mammal case." Nick stated. "I'm sorry, no offense, but why are you pulling us off the other case to work on this one? Aren't we more useful on the other case? Right, Carrots?" He looked to Judy, but she had a concentrated look on her face.

"Wait, the mercenary group, that was the Red Horn, right?" Judy asked, frowning. Nick, confused looked back to Bogo, but Bernard was the one who spoke.

"Impressive observational skills, Hopps. I can see why you are one of Bogo's top officers. But, yes. It was the Red Horn. Rumor was that they were bought by a company to deface another, but that hasn't been confirmed either." Bernard explained. "And with the recent bombing..."

It was Judy's turn to look confused. "Wait, so this Edward was the one who was behind the bombing?" Bernard quickly opened his mouth to explain, but was cut off by Bogo.

"Not necessarily, but a possibility, although Mr. Pinto has been pretty adamant that he couldn't have done such a thing. But in any case, we need you to find him. I couldn't send out flyers too. If the Red Horn was looking for him, and if they even suspect a single thing, they wouldn't hesitate to execute him on the spot if they find him." Judy and Nick nodded in understanding, realizing the importance of their assignment.

Bernard looked to the two. "I don't know who else suspects him, whether there's a bounty on his head, or whether he is just being paranoid. But what Bogo says is true. They will not hesitate to kill him on the spot."

Judy nodded with newfound determination. "We will not let you down. We'll find him, don't you worry. Nick?"

"Absolutely. You have my word." Nick agreed. Bogo pointed to the door.

"Clawhauser has the casefile. Good luck." The buffalo said as the duo exited. Bernard sighed and turned back to Bogo, who gave him a long look. "Bernard. Can I get you anything to drink?"

"No, it's fine. Also, thanks. For this. The two really seem up to task." Bernard thanked.

"It seems like you're putting a lot of trust in those two." Bogo inquired. The leopard shook his head.

"I can see it in them. When you're a lawyer as long as I have been, you learn to see it in mammals." Bernard explained. Bogo flashed one of his rare grins.

"Tell me about it."

* * *

 _Rainforest District, Fiscus Drive 9:43 AM_

After receiving their casefile, Nick and Judy drove to the residence of Edward Cavendish, a modest looking apartment inside the Rainforest District. Vines and moss covered the facade of the building, fostered by the area's damp climate. As it was situated, the apartment complex was fairly isolated from other buildings. The two climbed the steps of the apartment, wiping their feet off on a placemat in the lobby. An elderly looking tapir sat behind a counter, head deep in the newspaper. She looked up as soon as she heard the pair enter.

"Oh, hello officers. What can I do for you?" She greeted, putting her newspaper down and getting off her seat. Judy pulled herself closer to the counter.

"Officer Hopps, this is my partner, Officer Wilde. We're...looking for someone." Judy said.

"Who might you be looking for?"

"We're looking for Edward Cavendish. Does he live here?" Judy answered. Turning aside, the tapir looked at a clipboard hung on the wall. She pointed her finger at it, mumbling to herself as she scanned through it.

"Ah, old Edward. Yes, he lives here, on the third floor. But I don't think he's home. Haven't seen him in a while." The Tapir affirmed. It was Nick's turn to speak.

"Do you know where he could be?" Nick questioned. The tapir looked thoughtfully, furrowing her eyebrows.

"You could ask around at the bars nearby. He drinks, that I know, but not at any specific bar. You could ask around if they've seen him."

"Can we see his apartment?" Judy asked, and the tapir nodded. She led the two down the hallway and up the lift, and upon exiting, she turned left again at the beginning of the hallway. She stopped in front of a door, fumbling with the keys before finally unlocking the door. The two looked in as the door opened, but did not enter. Nick scanned the room.

"No sign of any struggle. He left on his own accord, it seems. I don't think we'll find anything else here." Nick said and Judy nodded in agreement.

Judy closed the door, and the tapir locked it again. "Wherever he is now, he's certainly not here." She thanked the tapir, and they walked back to the lift. Nick lagged behind, paws in pockets, studying the layout of the apartment when he caught a glimpse of movement from the dimly lit end of the hallway, where a light bulb had busted. A door at the end of the hall was ajar, and Nick could vaguely make out the shape of horns. As quickly as they appeared, they immediately vanished and the door closed with an audible click.

"Nick?" Judy called, and Nick nodded, following the two into the lift. As soon as they were in the lobby, Nick turned to the tapir.

"Who's living down the hallway on that level?" The tapir looked back at the clipboard, scanning the names.

"Oh, that's Mr. Anton Hoffkins. Do you want to talk to him."

Nick ignored the question. "Is he an antelope, by any chance?"

"A pronghorn, I believe." Nick nodded, satisfied with the answer.

The two thanked the tapir, then left the apartment, return to their cruiser. Nick pulled out his phone and started scrolling. As the two got in the police cruiser, Nick turned the phone around to Judy, revealing a map.

"There are three bars down the road. Which one do you want to hit first?" Nick asked, Judy shrugging in return.

"Whichever is closest." Judy answered amidst the sound of thunder. Nick looked out the window and caught a glimpse of the grey clouds between the trees.

"Looks like we better hurry too. It looks like the raining season decided to show up a month early." Nick quipped. "Did you bring an umbrella?"

Judy patted a small bundle by the side of her chair. "Obviously." She said, flashing a smile. "Never hurts to be prepared." Nick raised an eyebrow as he looked over to her side.

"You only brought one." Nick commented. "A small, bunny sized one."

Judy could only say 'oops' as they made their way to the next destination.

 _An hour later..._

The third and last bar was fairly empty, apart from a few occupants. As for the other two, they had no such luck. It was either they hadn't seen their mammal or that they weren't sure whether he was even there. And it seemed like this bar too couldn't provide them any information.

"Uh-I don't...um...know. I'm kinda new here, so I don't think I'd remember anyone who came in here." The bartender stammered. "I just came in last week." The sheep muttered a small 'sorry', but Nick waved it off.

"It's alright." He turned to Judy. "Tough luck for us. But since we're here..."

"Nick! You know we can't drink on duty!" Judy blurted.

Nick put his two paws up in defense. "Woah, I didn't say anything about drink. How about a bite?"

Judy rolled her eyes. "Sure." Nick smiled, ordering a side of fries and a cola. "Want anything?" He asked, to which Judy shook her head, sighing. As soon as Nick got his order did they find a seat in the empty establishment. Judy looked around, only seeing a few mammals sitting here and there. Nick, ignoring everything else, dug in.

"Breakfast was meh. Good thing we found this place, right, Carrots?" Nick said with his mouth full, looking up to Judy and frowning as he saw a dejected look on her face. "What's the matter?"

Judy snapped out of her trance. "Oh, it's nothing. Well, yeah. It's something. I'm just a bit disappointed."

Nick gulped down the fries he had in his mouth and washed it down with the drink. "We'll think of something." Judy grinned slightly. He put down his drink, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Carrots," He said. "There's something else going on." Nick's sudden change in tone intrigued Judy. "At the end of the hallway in that apartment. Well, it could be a coincidence, but, there was a pronghorn living there."

Judy, nodded slowly, and speaking cautiously. "So?"

"He was watching us the whole time we were up there." Nick finished. "You probably couldn't see it, but I could see him in the shadows. I don't know whether he knows why we were there, but I think it's fair to assume that he doesn't want to invite us to a tea party either."

Judy frowned. "This is serious. Mr. Cavendish might have know about it, and that's why he fled. But why would the Red Horn put-" She was interrupted as a small coated figure got up abruptly, shaking his table, and hurried to the door. Nick and Judy both watched him as he left. There was a moment of pause before either of them spoke.

"Y'know, Carrots, it's rather odd to wear an overcoat in the beginning of the summer." Nick said slowly. Judy nodded and flashed a determined smile, acknowledging his deliberate tone. The two got up, running out the door. Nick scanned the area, seeing a small figure running down the street.

"He's really booking it, let's go!" Nick tugged at Judy, who took off in a light. The grey clouds closed in and the sound of thunder echoed throughout the sky. Judy, who was much lighter in build, pulled ahead of Nick, matching the speed of their quarry. Nick was in a good condition for a cop, but still lagged behind her slightly. He unclasped his taser from his belt and held it in a weaver grip, with two thumbs interlocking. The figure pulled around the corner into an alleyway and Judy followed closely behind.

There was a scream.

"Judy!" Nick shouted, immediately increasing his pace. He swung around the corner, taser pointed forward. He gritted his teeth. Judy was in a chokehold, held forward by a badger in his left arm. His shoulders heaved heavily up and down, panting. He had many years behind his eyes, his fur was unkempt and he stood in a slight badger glared at the fox standing in front of him.

"Put. Her. Down." Nick seethed, teeth locked in a scowl. "Edward Cavendish, you're under arrest." The badger merely glared.

"Who paid you?" He snapped.

Nick adjusted his grip on the taser. "I have no idea what you are talking about, put down the-" Judy suddenly yelped as a sharp metal tip dug into her rib, causing Nick to step back. The badger had an arm at her side.

"Give up your act. I would've thought they would give the role of police officers to someone more believable." The badger retorted. "How much did they pay you, I wonder?" He mocked.

"Put down the weapon!" Nick barked. Judy squirmed in the badger's unflinching grip, who repeated the question one more time.

"Who sent you?"

Nick, suddenly realizing, loosed his grip on the taser. "Bernard Pinto." Nick growled, uncertain if that was the answer that could calm the badger. The fire went out behind the badger's eyes.

"Pinto?" Surprised, the badger loosed the chokehold on Judy. "That bastard." He said, slowly letting go of Judy completely. Judy lurched forward, standing beside Nick, who instinctively put a paw on her to prevent her from falling. The badger held up a metal pen in his right paw for the two to see. "I, thus, sincerely apologize. I wasn't sure if they knew I had gone or not. They're not unfamiliar with this type of deception." He tossed the pen away. "I wouldn't have done anything with that anyway. Cavendish. Edward Cavendish." He introduced.

Nick lowered his taser, realizing that the badger hadn't actually intended any harm. "Are you alright, Judy?" Judy put a paw on her neck, rubbing it.

"I'm fine." She turned to Edward, who shrugged apologetically. "Why are you here? I mean, you leave a message, but wind up near your own home?"

Edward shook his head. "They were watching me. Ever since five years ago, they've always been on my tail. If they knew I left, they would've tried nabbing me at the stations." He coughed, hesitating. He raised both his arms up to his chest. Nick and Judy looked at him confused.

"Aren't you going to arrest me? I kinda...did...attack an officer." Judy nodded in realization.

"Oh, um...right...Nick?" She said, looking to the fox. He shrugged.

"Your call." Nick clipped his taser back on his belt, but unclasping a pair of cuffs. "But he did attack you..."

Judy shook her head, turning to the badger. "We're not going to push charges anyway. Put those away, Nick. We're going back to the station."

Nodding, Nick put away the cuffs. Feeling drops on his fur, he looked up into the grey clouds. Thunder rolled and rain started to fall. "Well, just in time." He quipped, only half believing in the sudden stroke of luck they had. If only it was like this every time.

* * *

 **AN:** Please favourite and follow if you want more, and feel free to leave a review. Thanks!


	5. Chapter 5 - Purged Past

**AN:** Once again, thanks for reading!

* * *

 _Precinct 1, ZPD Headquarters 4:23 PM_

"Thank you. Really, I mean it, thank you, both of you." Bernard gasped, shaking the paws of Nick and Judy. "This was a really heavy load on me for the past day."

"No problem, sir. I guess we had luck on our side today." Nick nodded. They had brought Edward in as the storm grew, and a strong wind and rain blew outside, clouds gray and the day dark. They now stood outside of a witness room, where Edward and another officer were talking. Judy looked at the frosted pane window where she could see two faded silhouettes facing each other.

"Now what?" She mused to herself. They had gotten their missing mammal back safe and sound, but what was to happen now? Unless Edward knew something, they were back to square one. As she thought, Bogo stepped into the room, motioning to the two forward.

"Good job, officers. Expected as much from you both." Bogo commended the duo. "It's not over yet, though. Wilde, you said you suspect that Edward was trailed?" He asked.

Nick nodded. "That's why he ran. He knew that whoever that person was, they were watching his movements." Bogo nodded. "Hopps, can you confirm?"

Nick looked over to the rabbit, who shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't, sir. Nick only told me about this, but only after we left the apartment. Although I would trust him on this. Right?" She nudged her elbow into Nick's rib. Just then, the door to the witness room opened, and a wolf walked out, clipboard in hand. He motioned to the door with his thumb.

"He wants to talk to Wilde and Hopps." Bogo nodded and looked to the pair, motioning them to go. Nick and Judy entered the room, where Edward sat, facing the door. His face lit up as he saw them.

"You wanted to talk?" Judy asked. Edward nodded, wistfully. He clasped his paws together into a ball and set them in front of him.

"I already talked to Bernard. He told me everything, and all about the case you're working on. I can help." Nick raised an eyebrow and looked to Judy, who nodded. "I'm sure you'll find this very interesting..."

* * *

 _9 years ago, Ford Docks, Industrial Harbor District_

Edward furrowed his eyebrows, squinting as he tried to see in the dim light. He laced and twisted a wire into another, binding them together. He wiped a paw across his brow, glancing up to the mammals around him. Deer, antelope, a few wolves, and a tiger, armed to the teeth with automatic rifles and submachine guns of various make, dressed in bandoliers. A wolf who stood by the right of him nudged him sharply with the rifle end as Edward paused for longer than he wanted to. The badger's heart skipped a beat, and he finished the rig, getting up on one knee. Immediately, the guards all around him raised their guns up, all pointing at the badger. Edward slowly raised his hands up.

"I'm done here. I need to move to down there to secure the lines." He explained quickly, a finger pointing down the docks to a shipping crane. The wolf who stood closest to Edward looked to the antelope, who after a few tense seconds, nodded without another word. Edward quickly got to his two feet, and slowly made his way to his destination, flanked by the guards.

"How many more fuses?" The tiger grunted, gripping his weapon tighter.

"This is the last one." Edward offered, sighing internally as he saw that the answer satisfied the tiger. He stopped by the crane, bending down on one knee. The antelope saw this movement and quickly motioned a wolf forward, who was holding a duffel bag packed with white blocks. C-4, it read, in big black letters. The wolf poured out the package, along with a roll of duct tape. He tore out a strip and started to wrap a few blocks of C-4 together, about four blocks a strip. He passed them to Edward, who packed them to the side of the steel frame. Once they were secure, he pulled out the detonators, sliding one into each block. He noticed the wolf wince slightly every time he jammed one into the explosive block.

"Don't be too jumpy, these won't go off until I want them to." He said, not knowing why he said them in the first place. He didn't want to be here. But judging by the look on the young wolf's face, neither did he. Whether it was from pity or from some other emotion, he didn't know.

"Cut the chatter. Are you done yet?" The antelope gruffly said, poking Edward in the back with the barrel of his AK, prompting Edward to nod.

"We're done." He connected the detonators to a wire, which was coiled around a circular roll. The young wolf picked it up along with the empty duffel bag, and started his way back to the rendezvous site, uncoiling the wire along with him. The antelope poked Edward again, who got up and followed the group back. They walked along the unlit dock, to a street on the edge of the cliff several blocks away from the dock, overlooking the harbor. They walked to a set of black SUVs, parked in a semicircle facing into the harbor. A black coated sable antelope stood in the middle of a group of mammals, flanked by a heavy set common eland, who was brandishing an AR. The sable antelope stepped forward, putting a paw on Edward's shoulder.

"Ahh, I see you are right on time. I hope my guards gave you no trouble." The sable antelope said. Edward shot a sideways glare at the antelope who had poked him with the rifle, but said nothing. "Everything in order, Mr. Cavendish, no?"

"It's all good, sir." Edward muttered, but as he continued, the sable antelope put up a hand.

"No need for the formalities. Call me Sazar. And you need not worry about your family. They are safe, I assure you." Sazar reassured the badger. "My mammals will not lay a finger on them until I give the word."

Just then, the common eland stepped forward to the pair with a black box, covered in red switches and with an antennae sticking out from the end.

"Detonators are ready. We are standing by until the all clear signal." The eland informed Sazar.

"Thank you." He received the device and turned to Edward. "Amazing. We are ten minutes early. You are living up to what they said about you, Edward." He paused. "If you allow me to call you that."

"I'm just a engineer. Nothing more." Edward explained, and Sazar smiled.

"Ah, but you were a military engineer. No operation too small." Edward shook his head nervously. Sazar got down on one knee to put himself at eye-level with the badger. "About the proposal I made earlier. Are you not considering?"

Edward jerked his shoulder away from the sable antelope's grasp. "No. I'm done here. I've kept my end of the bargain. Leave my family alone." Edward said with a steely tone. Sazar's smile faded.

Hiss...Pop!

A bright red light flew into the sky, a red flare which came from the northern side of the docks and hung in the sky, casting shadows, disappearing after a few seconds. Everyone instinctively looked towards the source of the light, pausing a few seconds even after the flare fizzled out. Sazar smiled once more, handing the device back to the eland.

"Good. We are clear." He stood up, brushing his coat off. "I assure you again, Edward, your family will not be hurt." Turning towards the badger, he drew out an M45 pistol from inside his coat, flicking off the safety. "Unfortunately, this might sting."

Edward froze as the barrel settled onto the back of his head.

"I wish that you did reconsider your previous sentiment. For your own sake and mine. But since you have already chosen, you are a liability. Thus, I bid you adieu." There was an audible click as Sazar pulled back the cocking hammer on the pistol.

"Thank you for your services, Mr. Cavendish." There was a flash and a bang, and the badger's body was thrust forward into the asphalt. The gunshot rang through the hills, and a small sound of the empty metal cartridge clinked onto the floor. Sazar flicked the safety back on his pistol and holstered it. The body lay silent on the floor, face-down. Sazar put his paw outstretched, and the common eland handed the device back. He pulled the antennae out to its maximum length, facing the docks. Wistfully, he gazed back at the body on the ground.

"What misfortune. He might've been extremely useful, Ah, well..." He shook his head and turned back. Without hesitation, he flicked the switches. Flashes erupted from the docks in various places, and after a few second a thundering shock-wave swept across the hill. Plumes of orange and black smoke billowed from the docks. The mammals surrounding Sazar all raised their guns in the air and cheered. Sazar himself gave a smile.

"Good morning, Zootopia." He cackled, as the sun broke through the night sky, illuminating the wreckage of fire and steel that unfolded before them.

* * *

 _Present Day_

Edward unconsciously rubbed a scar by the left side of his ear as Nick and Judy sat in silence, captivated by his monologue.

"The bullet missed my brain by half an inch, although it did tear out a large chunk of bone and flesh." He pointed to his left eye. "I am slightly blind in this eye. Not completely, but I manage. To tell the truth, I still don't know how I got out of this alive. I played my cards wrong, said the wrong things, yet I lived. I was lucky." He sighed, rubbing his paws. He continued.

"Now, I only have my son, Russell. He's the only family left. His mother died seven years ago, and by then, he had already distanced me from his life. He was working for Canaan Industries, and he still is now, in some high position. He pays my welfare fees, but that's it. My involvement in the plot really took a toll on his reputation, so I guess it was in his benefit that I left. Which I did."

Judy nodded. "If I remember correctly, wasn't he on the newspaper recently?" Nick snapped his fingers, turning to her.

"Something about a promotion, wasn't it? I think I remember it too. Manager or something like that." Russell look between the two and folded his arms together.

"That's what I'm afraid of." Edward sighed. "He might be a target. My involvement, the recent attack, all of this. It's a long shot, but..." He left the sentence hanging. Judy nodded.

"We'll look into it, don't worry." Judy flashed a cheerful smile, which Edward had no choice but to return. "Well, if it's alright, we have to go. Take care!" The two got up, but not before Edward stopped them.

"One more thing. The incident nine years ago. Everything that was targeted? Gryke Tech assets. They had an intense rivalry against Canaan Industries back then, but they've gone bankrupt since." He said slowly. "If I were you, I wouldn't trust Canaan Industries."

The room felt colder, as the cool air from the AC circulated the room. The hair on the back of Judy's neck stood. Edward's grim look faded and was replaced with a more cheerful smile.

"That will be all. Wilde, Hopps, take care too."

* * *

 _Somewhere in Savannah Central, 9:30 PM_

A lone suit-clad hippo sat in a black limo in the dark corner of the street. Lit by only a streetlamp, Jerry Cosgrove, CFO of Canaan Industries, was on the phone. Or at least, going to. He waited for his chauffeur to arrive, after coming down early to the pickup spot. And the driver was late. As he waited, he pulled out his phone, dialing. The phone buzzed as it made the call.

"Hello?" The phone was picked up. "Jerry?"

"Hey Miles." Jerry replied, shifting his weight around the seat. "Driver is late. I might be late for the meeting." The meeting he referred to was off the books, unrecorded, involving parties he wouldn't want to be seen together with. An "emergency" meeting, whatever it meant. There was a sigh on the other end.

"Ok, fine. As long as you come before ten. None of us want to stay here for long." Miles huffed, slightly frustrated. Jerry, looking out the window and seeing no one, decided to pry for a bit of more info.

"Sure, of course. Uh, what's the meeting about? I only heard slight bits of the discussion, but..." He left his question unfinished, in order to lead Miles into a conversation, which Miles took without noticing.

"The incident two days ago. Sa- Our client," Miles stressed, "wants to address that topic." The voice on the other end lowered slightly. "If I were you, I would deny everything. You know nothing, right?" Miles seemed exasperated and slightly panicking. Jerry nodded to himself.

"Of course. If I may add..." Jerry paused as he saw the figure of his driver come out of the building they parked next to. "Call you later." He turned off the phone, muttering to himself. "Damn slackers, what do I even pay them for..." From behind the tinted glass windows and the dim streetlamp, he watched as the figure moved towards his door. He turned his body, ready to vent his frustrations verbally. The driver, instead of opening the door, tapped on the windows. It was at this point Jerry realized that his driver was slightly shorter than before, but disregarding the thought, he pushed the window button on the door, and the windows slid down slowly with a whir. But as soon as the window was halfway open, a spray of water splashed through the window, soaking Jerry's suit.

"What the...!?" The hippo interjected as he saw a gleaming light tossed into the car. It was also at this point that Jerry, even through his unsensitive nose, smelt a strong scent of gasoline, emanating from his soaked suit and pants. No other thought came to mind as the interior of the car erupted into flames, spreading onto every inch of the gasoline soak lining of the car and onto Jerry's already soaked body. The fire died down slowly, but still fed on the gasoline fumes that clung to the surfaces.

By ten, the figure had already disappeared, and Jerry had missed the meeting.

* * *

 **AN:** Thanks for reading! Please, leave a review and tell me any suggestions or thoughts you have on this fic!


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